# EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO — Corrective Action Order

**Citation:** CPF 520115017H  
**Type / status:** enforcement / historical  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2011-07-05

CLOSED corrective action order.

## Document text

Corrective Action Order involving EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO. The dataset does not identify a cited regulation for this case. The case was opened on 2011-07-05 and is reported as closed as of 2012-08-08. Open the official case record for notices, responses, orders, and the latest status.

Official case documents:

520115017H_CAO_07052011.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520115017H/520115017H_CAO_07052011.pdf

520115017H_CAO_07052011_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520115017H/520115017H_CAO_07052011_text.pdf

520115017H_closure letter_08082012.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520115017H/520115017H_closure%20letter_08082012.pdf

520115017H_closure letter_08082012_text.pdf: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-documents/520115017H/520115017H_closure%20letter_08082012_text.pdf

520115017H_closure letter_08082012_text.pdf

CERTIFIED MAIL [7010 2780 0001 0586 7156] AND FAX TO: 713-656-8232
August 8, 2012
Mr. Gary Pruessing
President
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company
800 Bell Street
Room 741-D
Houston, Texas 77002
Re: CPF 5-2011-5017H
Closure Letter
Dear Mr. Pruessing:
On July 5, 2011, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Associate
Administrator for Pipeline Safety issued a Corrective Action Order (CAO) in the above-referenced
case. It required ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMCO) to take certain corrective actions with
respect to the Silvertip crude oil pipeline that failed on July 1, 2011 near Laurel, Montana spilling
approximately 1500 barrels of crude oil into the Yellowstone River. Item 8 of the CAO required that
EMCO complete a failure investigation and determine the mode of failure for the Yellowstone River
Crossing. On August 7, 2012, I received an original copy of the final metallurgical report from
Kiefner and Associates, Inc. (KAI) entitled, Final Report No. 12-110R1 – Investigation of the
Silvertip-Billings Crude Oil Pipeline Failure at the Yellowstone River Crossing, dated August 6, 2012.
I have no question regarding the KAI metallurgical report failure and analysis, nor do I see any
unresolved system integrity or operational issues mandated by the CAO. Therefore, I am closing this
Corrective Action Order. My staff will continue to review the metallurgical report in detail to see if
there are any other safety concerns not addressed by the CAO. PHMSA will also determine if any
probable violations of the pipeline safety regulations were committed by EMCO personnel prior to,
during, or after the release
Thank you for your assistance in bringing this effort to an acceptable conclusion.
Sincerely,
Chris Hoidal
Director, Western Region
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/enforcement-data/case/520115017H>
- Source ID: `phmsa-enforcement`
- SHA-256: `c6ddb3f3c918e2a2e2b7e5b546dbc2473f5f50b87af66c4afb2544a8f80257bc`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T04:44:44.458Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T09:24:36.517Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-enforcement-520115017h`

### Source metadata

```json
{
  "cpf": "520115017H",
  "operator": "EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO",
  "region": "Western",
  "pipelineType": "INTERSTATE LIQUID ONSHORE",
  "caseStatus": "CLOSED",
  "citedSections": [],
  "dataAsOf": "08/04/2026 12PM",
  "caseDataAsOf": "2026-08-04",
  "attachmentCount": 4,
  "attachments": [
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  "extractedAgencyDocumentCount": 1,
  "attachmentPolicy": "Official attachment links are retained. Agency-issued documents may also include a verified local PDF and page-level text representation.",
  "jurisdiction": "US",
  "operatorName": "EXXONMOBIL PIPELINE CO"
}
```